Search the Databases
About Farm Subsidies
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Senate Approach Would Speed Payments to Michigan Farmers for Farmland Conservation
Fate of Funding Hangs on Key Farm Bill Negotiations
Michigan’s considerable – and growing – farmland conservation needs on private lands have gone chronically underfunded for years. That could all change as a handful of Senators and Representatives decide whether or not to adopt the Senate’s $4.3 billion annual investment in farmland conservation programs during final farm bill negotiations this month.
Currently, there is over $40 million in unfunded applications from Michigan farmers who want to implement conservation practices on their land that would protect farmland and enhance drinking water sources and wildlife habitat.
These programs, which pay farmers to take steps to boost conservation, provide a range of benefits to rural communities while boosting family farm incomes – particularly among smaller struggling family farm operations.
New analysis by EWG shows that the Senate’s approach to boosting funding for farmland conservation programs would immediately get much needed assistance to more farmers in the state than the House bill. In comparison, by waiting until 2007 to ramp up farmland conservation programs, the House bill would fail to meet the growing demand for farmers who want to reduce their farm’s impact on local rivers and streams, enhance wildlife habitat and prevent sprawl from consuming more farmland. And, the longer farmers and communities have to wait to enroll in conservation programs, the more expensive it will be for taxpayers to address conservation problems.
In short, adopting the Senate’s conservation strategy will help more farmers, provide benefits to society and save taxpayers money.
Meeting Environmental Challenges with Agriculture Conservation Programs in Michigan
Cleaner Rivers and Lakes: In Michigan, 2,074 miles of streams and 77,087 lake acres have been classified as impaired. Agriculture is one of the leading sources of the nonpoint source pollution causing water quality degradation, mostly due to excess pathogens and nutrients.
Efforts to increase funding for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) in the next farm bill would help more Michigan farmers adopt practices to reduce the level of sedimentation, nitrogen and phosphorus runoff into Michigan waters. The current backlog of EQIP funding in Michigan is $13 million. Increased funding for the Conservation Reserve Program, especially for grass and tree buffers near to water bodies, in the next farm bill would also help reduce agricultural pollutants in many Michigan watersheds. Although soil loss is declining, Michigan still loses approximately 30 million tons of soil per year from cropland. Through the CRP, farmers can retire highly erodible land without incurring economic costs.
Safer Drinking Water: In Michigan, 81 drinking water systems serving 13,674 people exceeded EPA's nitrate threshold from 1995 through 2000. Pesticide use in Michigan is 21 million pounds per year and nitrate use is 250,000 tons per year. Through USDA technical assistance and EQIP, Michigan farmers could implement practices to reduce the use of these chemicals and prevent them from contaminating Michigan's water bodies and source drinking water areas.
Protected Open Space and Working Landscapes: Every year, Michigan loses an average of 42,000 acres of prime farmland per year to development and suburban sprawl (USDA/NRI). Converting prime farmland to housing developments and parking lots means that it is lost for meeting future food needs as well as for open space. To date, Michigan has protected more than 1,300 acres on 55 farms through its publicly funded farmland preservation program, created in 1996. However, the pilot program has been unable to meet the demand, as more than 1,400 applications were submitted. By increasing funding for the federal Farmland Protection Program to $500 million a year, as is proposed in the Kind-Gilchrest alternative, Michigan's efforts to protect its natural resource base and our open space for future generations could be doubled.
Enhanced Wildlife Habitat: Michigan farmland is home to many species of game and non-game wildlife, including turkey, deer, bear, elk, moose, wolves, fox and coyote. Although Michigan farmers have enrolled over 287,000 acres in the Conservation Reserve and Wetlands Reserve Programs, lack of funding has created a backlog of farmers who want to enroll additional land in the programs. Michigan farmers volunteered to enroll 15,000 acres in the WRP last year in permanent protection and another 1,897 acres under 30 year easements. At least $20 million is needed to eliminate this backlog. Many more farmers are volunteering for the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program to enhance wildlife habitat on their working farmland. Currently, 94 applications from farmers and ranchers totaling $613,000 are unfunded in Michigan. Proposals to increase funding for these programs in the next farm bill would ensure that all farmers and ranchers who want to retire highly sensitive land for wildlife habitat or adopt new practices to create habitat can do so.
Healthier Food Supply: Many Michigan producers are moving towards organic production, with 15,000 acres of farmland and 2,234 acres of rangeland now growing organically. Since organic food is one of the fastest growing segments in the U.S. food industry, Michigan could create a healthier food supply and farm economy by increasing organic production. Proposals to include organic transition payments in the next Farm Bill would help those Michigan farmers who want to switch to organic farming.
Copyright 2003, Environmental Working
Group. All Rights Reserved.
Headquarters 1436 U St.
N.W., Suite 100 | Washington, DC 20009 || info@ewg.org
California Office
1904 Franklin St. Suite 703 | Oakland, CA 94612 || california@ewg.org